NameCensus.

UK surname

Jefferies

Derived from the given name Jeffrey, which means "district of peace" or "pledge of peace" in Old German.

In the 1881 census there were 3,300 people recorded with the Jefferies surname, ranking it #1,373 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,296, ranked #1,273, up from #1,373 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Cheddar, Nyland with Batcombe, Rodney Stoke. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset and Swindon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jefferies is 5,778 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.5%.

1881 census count

3,300

Ranked #1,373

Modern count

5,296

2016, ranked #1,273

Peak year

1999

5,778 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jefferies had 3,300 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,373 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,296 in 2016, ranked #1,273.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,371 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jefferies surname distribution map

The map shows where the Jefferies surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Jefferies surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jefferies over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,775 #1,625
1861 historical 1,768 #1,637
1881 historical 3,300 #1,373
1891 historical 3,731 #1,284
1901 historical 4,842 #1,166
1911 historical 5,371 #971
1997 modern 5,455 #1,196
1998 modern 5,752 #1,180
1999 modern 5,778 #1,184
2000 modern 5,733 #1,180
2001 modern 5,620 #1,182
2002 modern 5,720 #1,183
2003 modern 5,506 #1,203
2004 modern 5,468 #1,209
2005 modern 5,359 #1,217
2006 modern 5,359 #1,219
2007 modern 5,372 #1,218
2008 modern 5,379 #1,223
2009 modern 5,472 #1,238
2010 modern 5,575 #1,244
2011 modern 5,524 #1,236
2012 modern 5,331 #1,256
2013 modern 5,434 #1,252
2014 modern 5,438 #1,263
2015 modern 5,364 #1,263
2016 modern 5,296 #1,273

Geography

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Where Jefferies' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Cheddar, Nyland with Batcombe, Rodney Stoke and St Philip and Jacob. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset and Swindon. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Cheddar, Nyland with Batcombe, Rodney Stoke Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Gloucestershire 026 South Gloucestershire
2 South Gloucestershire 025 South Gloucestershire
3 South Gloucestershire 029 South Gloucestershire
4 Bath and North East Somerset 022 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Swindon 004 Swindon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jefferies

These lists show first names that appear often with the Jefferies surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jefferies

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jefferies, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Jefferies surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Jefferies household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Jefferies is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jefferies is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jefferies falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jefferies is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Jefferies, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jefferies

The surname Jefferies originated in England during the medieval period. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name Jeffrey, which is itself an English form of the ancient Germanic name Godfroi or Godefrid, meaning "peace of God." The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Geffrey, found in the Domesday Book of 1086.

In the 12th century, the surname began to appear in various forms, including Jeffray, Jeffries, and Jeffereys. These early spellings were influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time. The variant Jefferies emerged in the 14th century, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Jefferies was John Jefferies, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1243. Another early bearer of the name was William Jefferies, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Jefferies became more widespread and was found in many parts of England. Notable individuals from this period include Sir John Jefferies (1555-1615), a distinguished lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer under King James I.

In the 18th century, the name Jefferies was associated with several prominent figures, including George Jefferies (1678-1755), a scholar and ecclesiastical writer, and George Jeffreys (1648-1689), the notorious Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of King James II, known for his brutal suppression of the Monmouth Rebellion.

Other notable bearers of the Jefferies surname include John Jefferies (1701-1795), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, and Richard Jefferies (1848-1887), a renowned English writer and naturalist, best known for his works celebrating the English countryside.

The surname Jefferies has also been found in various place names throughout England, such as Jefferies Bank in Somerset and Jefferies Farm in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its deep roots in the country's historical landscape.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jefferies families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jefferies surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Gloucestershire leads with 832 Jefferies' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.11x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 832 13.11x
Wiltshire 423 14.79x
Somerset 277 5.32x
Middlesex 241 0.75x
Surrey 154 0.98x
Berkshire 140 5.77x
Staffordshire 128 1.17x
Warwickshire 111 1.36x
Essex 94 1.47x
Kent 85 0.77x
Bedfordshire 84 5.02x
Hampshire 74 1.12x
Worcestershire 70 1.66x
Suffolk 57 1.45x
Lancashire 55 0.14x
Sussex 51 0.94x
Oxfordshire 47 2.35x
Glamorgan 46 0.82x
Yorkshire 40 0.12x
Devon 39 0.58x
Buckinghamshire 32 1.64x
Cheshire 26 0.36x
Dorset 24 1.13x
Shropshire 22 0.79x
Huntingdonshire 14 2.18x
Northamptonshire 14 0.46x
Derbyshire 13 0.26x
Monmouthshire 13 0.56x
Lincolnshire 12 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.28x
Norfolk 11 0.22x
Pembrokeshire 11 1.07x
Channel Islands 8 0.83x
Hertfordshire 8 0.36x
Cornwall 6 0.16x
Perthshire 6 0.41x
Royal Navy 6 1.56x
Durham 5 0.05x
Brecknockshire 4 0.62x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.15x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.22x
Herefordshire 3 0.23x
Midlothian 3 0.07x
Northumberland 3 0.06x
Denbighshire 2 0.16x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.27x
Westmorland 2 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St Philip Jacob in Gloucestershire leads with 119 Jefferies' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.92x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St Philip Jacob 119 19.92x
Bristol St George 106 36.13x
Westport St Mary 82 395.56x
Bitton Oldland 78 120.28x
Bedminster 61 12.47x
Birmingham 59 2.17x
Wootton Bassett 54 217.04x
Camberwell 52 2.52x
Cheddar 48 183.21x
Bitton 46 83.30x
Mangotsfield 36 56.93x
Purton 34 133.54x
Brightlingsea 33 90.46x
Kensington London 33 1.83x
Harwell 28 312.15x
Stow On The Wold 27 191.49x
Walcot 27 9.74x
Westbury 25 37.44x
Islington London 24 0.77x
Minchinhampton 24 47.48x
Greenwich 23 4.47x
Stonehouse 23 63.80x
Biggleswade 22 40.11x
Malmesbury St Paul 22 89.43x
Bristol St James In 21 22.51x
Harborne 21 6.00x
Portsea 21 1.62x
Swindon 21 9.46x
Weston Super Mare 21 15.97x
Aston 20 0.89x
Siddington 20 373.83x
Oxford St Ebbe 19 32.31x
St Marylebone London 19 1.10x
Hackney London 18 0.99x
Pucklechurch 18 125.79x
Stoke Damerel 18 3.82x
Thornbury 18 41.50x
Clifton 17 5.30x
Llandaff 17 9.07x
Paddington London 17 1.43x
Stroud 16 12.96x
Wetheringsett Cum 16 139.74x
Bisley 15 26.09x
Painswick 15 33.43x
Brighton 14 1.27x
Kidderminster Borough 14 5.66x
Langley Burrell 14 117.85x
Thurleigh 14 209.58x
Ashton Keynes 13 122.18x
Coventry St Michael 13 4.96x
Deptford St Paul 13 1.53x
Hammersmith London 13 1.63x
Lambeth 13 0.46x
Rodborough 13 42.43x
Shrivenham 13 108.15x
Wantage 13 33.58x
Battersea 12 1.01x
Keevil 12 287.77x
Stratton St Margaret 12 27.35x
Urchfont 12 102.48x
Aylesbury 11 12.69x
Cannock 11 5.77x
Chippenham 11 18.34x
Cookham 11 14.53x
Cranborne 11 42.85x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 11 9.48x
Southrop 11 283.51x
Westbury On Trym 11 5.12x
Bristol St James St Paul 10 4.73x
Castle Eaton 10 279.33x
Clare 10 52.99x
Halling 10 69.16x
Horsley 10 35.59x
Laindon 10 282.49x
Marshfield 10 59.00x
Olveston 10 56.05x
Prittlewell 10 11.30x
St George Hanover Square 10 1.75x
Great Burstead 9 38.73x
Potterne Marston 9 489.13x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Jefferies surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 216
Sarah 138
Elizabeth 130
Eliza 64
Alice 62
Annie 59
Ellen 58
Ann 52
Jane 51
Emma 46
Emily 45
Martha 36
Florence 30
Fanny 29
Hannah 26
Maria 26
Caroline 25
Louisa 25
Edith 24
Charlotte 23
Kate 22
Ada 17
Harriet 16
Susan 16
Catherine 13
Clara 13
Harriett 13
Lucy 13
Margaret 12
Matilda 12
Amelia 11
Frances 11
Minnie 10
Agnes 9
Amy 9
Anne 9
Esther 9
Julia 9
Rosa 9
Laura 8
Hester 7
Rose 7
Susannah 7
Eva 6
Priscilla 6
Rebecca 6
Ruth 6
Sophia 6
Bessie 5
Jessie 5

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Jefferies surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 209
John 140
George 131
Thomas 108
Henry 81
Charles 76
James 66
Joseph 51
Alfred 42
Arthur 41
Robert 39
Edward 38
Albert 37
Frederick 37
Walter 33
Samuel 32
Harry 20
Richard 17
Frank 16
Herbert 15
Francis 14
Benjamin 12
Daniel 9
David 9
Fred 9
Abraham 8
Edwin 8
Sidney 8
Isaac 7
Tom 7
Ernest 6
Fredk. 6
Mark 6
Wm. 6
Michael 5
Stephen 5
Thos. 5
Edmund 4
Gilbert 4
Jesse 4
Leonard 4
Lewis 4
Peter 4
Reginald 4
Reuben 4
Willie 4
Jacob 3
Jno. 3
Job 3
Simon 3

FAQ

Jefferies surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jefferies surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,300 people were recorded with the Jefferies surname. That placed it at #1,373 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jefferies surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,296 in 2016. That gives Jefferies a modern rank of #1,273.

What does the Jefferies surname mean?

Derived from the given name Jeffrey, which means "district of peace" or "pledge of peace" in Old German.

What does the Jefferies map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jefferies bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.